In Egypt, Prayers and Family Feasts Mark End of Ramadan

Men gather in Giza, just outside Cairo, for Eid prayers Wednesday.

Two friends pose for a photo after finishing the prayers in Giza.

The rush is on at Cairo’s main railway station. After a day’s work in Cairo on the 29th and final afternoon of Ramadan, villagers head home for the Eid al-Fitr celebration with their families.

Some would say that no Eid feast in Egypt is complete without the cookies known as “Kahk.” Cairo residents line up at a confectioner’s in central Cairo to buy them fresh for the celebration.

During Ramadan, Egyptian Muslims often refrain from eating salted fish to avoid thirst and dehydration. Vendors do brisk business on Eid as the delicacy is a part of the feast.

Islam prohibits the consumption of alcohol, but in Egypt as Ramadan ends, one of the lesser-known traditions is the reopening of liquor stores. This liquor store is opening its door halfway, a sign of being ready to work.

A Cairo barber shop is busy as men line up to get their hair cut as they prepare to celebrate Eid.

Egyptian Muslims go shopping before Eid. Wearing new clothes to welcome he end of the season are a part of the tradition.

Bank customers line up for cash at an ATM in central Cairo. Welcoming Eid means spending money on feasts, clothes, and gifts – usually cookies – for friends and family.

With the fast now over, a girl eagerly waits for an ice cream cone.

Egyptian Muslim Families get together after attending Eid Al-Fitr prayers in Cairo, Egypt, June 5, 2019.

For families in Cairo, Eid includes a trip to a playground and carnival rides set up for the occasion.